Society of the Snow is an incredible yet harrowing survival drama exemplifying true grit and trauma My Score : 90/100 Based on true events and a book by the same name, Society Of The Snow follows the story of a Uruguayan Rugby team whose plane crashes in the Andes Mountains while being on their way to Chile. Society of the Snow is haunting survival drama which accounts for the 70 days of the survivors in the sea of snow between the borders of Argentina and Chile. With a spine chilling screenplay and tragic events that follow, the film never feels 150mins long. I was just a hopeless spectator of the trauma the survivors went through. As gut wrenching and painful it may seem, the film efficiently exemplifies true grit and determination for survival which kept the Uruguyans going. The cinematography is incredibly good capturing some beautiful frames of the landscape while balancing it with tight close-ups that will evoke a sense of claustrophobia in you too. The editing is crisp and sharp wherein the length of the drama never bothered me. Director J.A. Bayona has excelled in focusing on the event rather than deep diving into character studies. His direction is top notch. Its a crime not to highlight the excellent sound design which shifts gears with tragic turn of events. Ensemble performances are fantastic and make it more realistic. The conversations are emotional and dialogues are equally well written which leaves a lasting impression. Overall, With a runtime of 145mins Society of the Snow shines as one of the most eventful screenplays of the genre that makes you gasp for your breath at various junctures of the narrative. It is intense, harsh and quite overwhelming thus making for an intriguing and incredible watch. Survival dramas at its finest. Spain’s Official Entry to the Academy Awards this year and I cant agree more. Instagram & X : @streamgenx

If you're at all familiar with Ethan Hawke's "Alive" (1993) then you'll have the gist of this story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose aircraft came down after heavy turbulence, stranding them amidst the wreckage high up in the Andes mountains. Of the forty who embarked, only sixteen remain and it now falls to them to demonstrate the ultimate in team spirit if they are to fight the cold, hunger, fear, avalanches and each other to survive. Juan Bayona has created a really uncomfortable film to watch here, engendering some strong performances from Enzo Vogrincic (Turcatti) and Agustín Pardella (Nando) as they are forced to drink melted snow and - well you can use your imagination as to how they had to find enough food to survive the sub-zero temperatures whilst - they hoped - help would find them. It's the pristine cinematography that helps this stand out - we really do get a sense of the hostility of this terrain, the cold and the dark; the cloud line making an airborne search for them all but impossible. Should some of them set off to search lower down or is their greater safety in numbers? It's history, so we do know what happened back in 1972 - but even that doesn't impact too much on the gradually increasing senses of peril, claustrophobia and terror and of the best and worst aspects of human nature when facing a crisis. An ensemble effort really, with a team of actors presenting a convincing and compellingly chilling tale of survival that's well crafted by those behind the camera too.